An animal rescue in California was shocked when a family brought in their healthy dog and asked for him to be euthanized. But what they discovered next was even more disheartening.
The family surrendered a 3-year-old black Labrador retriever named Godric to the Hearts for Paws rescue. They claimed that he had bitten their baby who had crawled into his food bowl. However, the family’s request didn’t end there — they also wanted Godric to be put down.
Thankfully, the shelter decided not to euthanize Godric. They found him to be a sweet and gentle dog. But something caught their attention when they saw Godric playing with another dog in the yard. To their dismay, they realized that the other dog, named Sadie, had been surrendered by the same family just weeks before because she had “growled” at the baby.
It turns out that the family had asked the shelter to euthanize both dogs. The rescue organization was shocked by this request. They acknowledged that it’s natural for parents to be concerned about their baby’s safety, but giving up the dogs and asking for their lives to be taken was uncalled for.
Hearts for Paws emphasized that the dogs’ behavior did not make them aggressive. In fact, they described both Godric and Sadie as exceptionally sweet. They explained that growling is a way for dogs to communicate and ensure that no harm comes to anyone.
People were outraged when they heard this heartbreaking story. Many expressed their anger at the family’s actions and hoped that they would never be allowed to have another dog.
Hearts for Paws clarified that they did not adopt Godric and Sadie to the family. They speculated that the family had bought the dogs from a breeder.
In an update, the rescue organization shared that Godric was in a foster-to-adopt home, while Sadie became the shelter’s longest resident before being transferred to Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, California. Sadie is still looking for a loving home.
It is heartbreaking that both of these dogs were surrendered and left to be euthanized. However, we are grateful that their lives were spared and we hope that they find their perfect forever homes soon. Please share this story to raise awareness about the importance of responsible pet ownership.
